JOHOR BARU: No nurseries under GISB Holdings Sdn Bhd (GISBH) currently operate to house the children of the organisation's followers.
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad stated that 13 children remain in the care of the Social Welfare Department institutions, where they participate in activities and attend school as usual, per a Sinar Harian report.
"There are no GISBH-related nurseries currently in operation. Instead, only 13 children under the age of 18, who have been rescued, remain in our care.
"All of them are placed in JKM shelter homes and attend school like other children," she said during a press conference after officiating the Southern Zone International Women's Day 2025 celebration on Monday (Feb 24).
Previously, the media reported that the Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, revealed that 13 out of 560 former GISBH children have yet to be claimed by their parents.
According to her, six of them have been ordered by the court to remain in JKM institutions under Section 30(1)(d) of the Child Act 2001, while seven others are under interim orders at the institution.
In her speech, Noraini mentioned that this year's Southern Zone celebration theme, 'Strong Spirit, Healthy Women,' reflects the challenges faced by women today.
"Based on the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023, approximately 4.6 per cent or one million Malaysians aged 15 and above experience depression.
"NHMS 2022 also reported that 26.9 per cent of teenagers meet the criteria for depression, with a higher prevalence among females (36.1 per cent) compared to males (17.7 per cent).
"This indicates that women are twice as likely to experience depression as men," she explained.
